The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-02-02

llahe no lurCheT apPToPIlaCIoho ouC
Of it's fund to oyster surveys, to coal
and mining explorations-to confine
the operations of the Department
and Of the State chemist to agricul-
tural work, and thereby curtail the
expenses. It isl estimated that at
least $4,000 ofthe Of the
Department may be saved and yet
increase it's usefulness and efficiency
to the farmers of the State. They
ask that the Department of Agri-
culture and the Agricultural College
be placed under the same manage
ment.
H FARMERS AND IMMIGRATION.
The Convention declared in favor
of immigration, but it holds that the
expenses incurred should not come
out of the farmers fund but out of
the common treasury. The farmers
pay their taxes, which constitute by
far, the greater part Of the common
fund, and as other classes and other in
terests will share largely the benefits
which may accrue from immigration
they feel that other interests should
be made to bear their just share OF
the burden of expense.
THE FARMERS M THE AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE.
They ask the Legislature to es-
tablish an Agricultural College. They
believe that sufficient funds could
and should be provided to establish
this College. They ask that the
Land Scrip fund be transferred from
the State University to the support
of this College. They ask that the
Department of Agriculture be so re-
modelled in it's work and scope as
that at least $4,000 may easily be
saved to the College. If thought
best to establish the College near
Raleigh the liberal donation by that
city in money, buildings and land,
will add a handsome amount to the
fund. If, as is claimed, the State
owns three hundred acres of land
adjacent to the site donated by the
City, it is proposed to secure this as
a donation from the State. Then
whatever additional sum is needed
to put the College on a firm and per-
manent basis, they ask the legisla-
ture to appropriate from the treas
ury. Will the Legislature hesitate
and enter the plea, that the treas
ury cannot afford it,, The Conven-
ton of farmers answers this question
| OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES atoptted
with great unanimity-enact a law,
imposing a tax of one dollar on each
dog in the State and let it go into
the common treasury. This will
bring in a of at least three
hundred thousand dollars perannum.
I THE FARMERS mi CONVICT LABOR.
They ask that Convict labor be
employed on the public roads of the
State and "condemn the policy of
giving this labor to moneyed corpor-
ations."
THE FARMERS AND THE LIEN LAWS.
4 They ask that all crop lien laws
shall be repealed, to take effect on
the 1st of January 1888.
H FARMERS AND THE UNIVERSITY
The farmers of the State, so far as
the two Conventions could give ex-
presson to their sentiment, were
never more united on any one thing
than that the Land Scrip Fund
should be transferred from the Uni
versity, and applied to the support
of an Agricultural and Mechanical
College,-separate and distinct from
the University-or any other insti-
tuition. The labored effort to con-
tort this just and reasonable demand
into hostility to the University is
an insult to their intelligence and
patriotism. In the animated discus
sion of this question before the Con-
v%ention n OF the speakers said:
"We have been besought and i'm
plored not to destroy the University.
Mr.. President, these hundreds of
farmers, true and loyal to North
Carolina, in all that pertains to her
advancement, as any who breathe
her pure air, are not revolutionists.
There is not one of their number
who will not join me in the wish and
the prayer that our University may
rise higher and higher until it shall
reach the plane where it will be just
ly recognized as the peer Of any
similar institution in all this broad
land"-and the sentiment was most
heartily ~applauded,. The claims of
the University to this fund in the
Convention of the 18th were ear
nestlv presented bv President Rot